By Samuel Strait, Reporter at Large – October 24 2021 For those citizens not paying attention to how various assessments to your wallet are "supposedly" protected by "Citizen Oversight Committees" let the buyer be wary. What recently was exposed in a meeting of the Del Norte Unified School District's Measure "A" Citizens Oversight Committee meeting is a lesson all voters should learn about BEFORE ANY FURTHER BOND MEASURES OR PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENTS ARE APPROVED IN FUTURE ELECTIONS………. As outlined in two, yes, two articles in the Crescent City Times, with another to come out shortly, the DNUSD has expended nearly $25 million dollars of the Measure "A" Bond money from 2008 with zero, that's right zero oversight from the District's Citizen's Oversight Committee. What was clear and acknowledged by the current Committee Chair, Steve Lyons, that NO training had been received as to their duties, NO training had been received as to how to conduct a public meeting, and NO education as to what projects were to be funded by Measure "A" Bond funding. That Measure "A" Bond funding has been spent with NO oversight during the entire time of the funding's existence is beyond belief. Currently there are several other COC's in place both in the City and County to oversee other tax assessments levied by voters in recent elections. Might it not be prudent to oversee the overseers in light of what has happened at the School District? It is very clear that citizen volunteers are hardly likely to understand or be able to exercise their responsibilities without training and education into what their job is supposed to be. Has any of this training, let alone how to properly conduct a public meeting, been offered to these Committees? Have conflicts of interest by members within the current membership been exposed? Do the Committee members know what to look for when projects are presented? Are regular public announcements made to insure proper spending has occurred? Are there any penalties to the parent agencies should violations be revealed? Is there any redress for the citizens that have been abused by misspent funds from the public agency? The take away from the DNUSD's clear violation of the public's trust from an organization that should be above reproach in NO UNCERTAIN TERMS, is a wake up to the public on just how far government has strayed. It can no longer be assumed that County, City, and even Fire District Boards, will exercise their responsibilities properly and legally. Likewise, it can no longer be assumed that Citizen's Oversight Committees can be trusted to operate both independently and be faithful to the interests of the public they serve. This exposure should become a huge "RED FLAG" for those that assume that the School District and other public services, County, City, Harbor, DNSMA, Fire, etc. are conducting those services they present as beneficial to children being educated and warranted for public safety and welfare. Perhaps it is past time to find out……..